1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to information displays and more particularly discloses a heart rate monitor and, even more particularly, to a heart rate monitor adapted to be mounted on a person""s eyewear.
2. Prior Art
Eyewear-mounted information display devices are well known in the art. For example, Linden, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,871, the contents of which patent are incorporated herein by reference thereto, discloses an improved visual display device which monitors and provides visual access to a variety of information when the device is attached to, or incorporated within, a head-mountable accessory such as a pair of swim goggles, eyeglasses, protective goggles, shields, visors or the like. The device is particularly adapted for visually presenting performance information to an athlete without interfering with the athlete""s ability to perform.
Linden, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,987, and 5,266,977 discloses a timing device including a digital display adapted to be mounted on protective headgear such as goggles by means of a suction cup. In use, the digital display is affixed to the wearer""s eyewear within the wearer""s field of view. The digital display device includes an integral lens which presents the image of the digital display to the wearer so as to be focused ten or more inches in front of the eye for comfortable viewing.
Examples of other devices which generally address eyewear-mounted digital displays are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,987; 5,886,822; 4,776,045; 5,258,785; 5,697,792; and 4,806,011. Taba, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,722 discloses a swimmer""s goggles incorporating an electronic timer and a digital display. The device includes an accelerometer and a clock, which, in combination with a signal processor, provides the swimmer with performance information such as the number of laps the swimmer has completed and the average time per lap.
Various wearable devices are known which provide the wearer with heart rate data. Such devices are sensitive to differences in the electrical potential of the skin at different distances from the heart. Most commonly, a first electrode is affixed to the skin overlying the heart and a second electrode is worn on the wrist or affixed to the skin at a distant location. Since the difference in potential between the electrodes is synchronous with the beating of the heart, such devices record the number of electrical impulses produced in response to a sequence of heart beats over a time interval and present the average heart rate during the sampling time interval to the wearer by means of a digital display normally worn on the wrist. A similar prior art device is mounted on the wrist and requires the user to place two fingers from the opposite hand onto contacts, the contacts being sensitive to infrared or Doppler signals. With such devices it is necessary for the wearer to bring his/her wrist into view, touch the device with the opposite hand and focus attention on the display. Such movements may undesirably disrupt the wearer""s activity and have a detrimental effect his/her performance.
It is a first object of the invention to provide an eyewear-mountable heart rate monitoring device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a heart rate monitoring device which is supported by and integral with eyewear.
It is another object of the invention to provide a heart rate monitoring device meeting the objectives set forth above wherein the device includes a digital display which is viewable by the wearer.
It is still another object of the invention to provide eyewear which includes means for sensing a wearer""s heart rate integral therewith.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide eyewear which includes means for sensing a wearer""s heart rate and means for displaying the wearer""s heart rate integral therewith.
A device such as the present invention meets the foregoing objectives of the invention and enables the user to monitor his/her heart rate while performing an activity without interfering with the performance. The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. However the invention itself, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may be best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: